Previews

Rock Band 2

We rock out with the sequel to one of gaming's biggest cultural phenomena.

Spiffy:

Same core experience you know and love; improved customization features; huge track list; ability to import songs from the first game.

Iffy:

We haven't gotten much hands-on time with the new instruments; can anyone beat Sluggo?

To say that Harmonix's Rock Band has set the world on fire would be a bit of an understatement, as it seems like you can't go a day or two without seeing or hearing about it. "The Today Show" featured a segment on Rock Band 2 that was followed by Al Roker (who, it should be noted, plays some mean drums) and friends playing it and, naturally, it wasn't long before it made the rounds on the Internet. So many bars and clubs have started featuring nights that revolve around the game that there's been talk of opening dedicated, karaoke-style Rock Band bars in some urban markets. The flames are only going to become more intense this fall when the second game in the franchise is released. Luckily for us (er, you), we here at GameSpy headquarters have been playing Rock Band 2 for almost a week, and we're ready to share our thoughts with you.

Before we stagedive headfirst into this preview, it should be noted that, while Rock Band 2 has some great additions and improvements, it's still very much the game we already know and love. The core gameplay remains virtually unchanged, so much so that it's hard to tell the difference between the first and second games to the untrained eye. You'll still be able to play with whatever combinations of guitarist, bassist, drummer, and singer you want, although there have been a few selection changes that we'll discuss in a bit. So, just in case you came into this preview worrying that your beloved Rock Band experience has been ruined, worry no longer.

When you boot the game up, you'll see that you've got many of the same options as before, including Quickplay, Tour, Training, Options and Extras, as well as the Music Store that was added to the original game as a patch. Nestled within these menus are a few new features, including one that I'm using right now. Jukebox mode allows you to simply listen to any of the songs you've got unlocked. While this might not sound like much, it's a great way to introduce players to songs that they might now know, as well as give you something to listen to during downtime. We also love the new Game Modify section, which allows you toggle features on and off, such as the ability to play through songs without the possibility of failure (as a loading menu says, it's great for both frustrated kids and adults) or even play it without a visible track (which is completely insane for the instruments).

Once you're ready to take on the world and attempt to become one of the rock world's all-time greats, you can hop into the revamped World Tour. Although the main Tour structure has stayed the same, it now offers both offline and online bands, as well as the ability to play it solo. Both of these are refreshing refinements for anyone who didn't get to experience the World Tour due to a lack of available bandmates. You'll still be given a number of songs to play at each establishment that you unlock, but there are also plenty of setlist options, as well as the ability to create your own. As always, picking up fans and earning money is the name of the game, but now you'll also be tasked with earning your own vehicles.